Houseparent Louise Carter
Assistant Houseparents Natasha Blake & Emma Windett
Under Houseparent Pauline Thévenet
Matron Shona Cannon
I arrived at the turn of the Century, September 2000 from Cranbrook School, Kent where I taught Biology and Chemistry for four years and was Assistant Head of Public Examinations. At Stowe, I have been UHP to Nugent girls and more recently a Sixth Form Tutor, supporting those pupils wanting to study veterinary medicine as well as dentistry, marine biology, zoology and paleontology. I was appointed Head of Biology in 2014.
I have two children, Toby and Lilly, who like their mother, are sports enthusiasts. They are both cross-country runners, as well as athletes for their county. Toby plays football regularly and Lilly is an avid gymnast.
In the Stanhope community the girls quickly discover a sense of belonging and soon develop life-long friendships. We take great care to provide a convivial atmosphere and to create the right resources for both study and leisure.
Our aim is to foster attitudes which will instil self-confidence, create a sense of personal excellence as well as an understanding of the interdependence of Stanhopians and to be caring members of our community. The ability to develop good working relationships academically and socially is most important and this can be built on the foundations established jointly by staff and Stanhopian.
With our foundation firmly rooted in tradition, Stanhopians are considerate and compassionate towards members of their extended family. With this in mind, Stanhope has adopted its vertical Family Tree, which involves girls from all five year groups. They work together to gain rewards through Inter-House events and this year through raising money for our chosen House charity ‘The Dan Eley Foundation’ which aims to help young people achieve true independence by providing vocational training and life-changing support for young people to enable them to lead productive and fulfilling lives.
Stanhope has a strong reputation for all round success, on the games field with APG leagues, House debating as well as musically and academically. Our ultimate aim is to create confident, well rounded, happy and positive young women who are ready to take their place in society and make valuable contributions post Stowe.
Stanhope House was named after Lady Hester Stanhope, Great Granddaughter of the builder of Stowe House, Sir Richard Temple, the third Baronet. She was also the niece of one of the great Prime Ministers, Sir William Pitt, the Younger. The Stanhope family were closely linked with the Temple/Grenville family, once the owners of Stowe. Stanhope was the first girls’ House at Stowe. The first five day girls to join the Sixth Form arrived in 1974 and be 1976 there were enough female Stoics to form a House. They originally lived in the old Stanhope building which now contains the Careers, International and Skills Development Departments and was used once again, whilst awaiting the opening of the new Stanhope House. Although numbers of girls increased in 1993, necessitating the move to Lyttelton, the Stanhope name was revived for the new, state of the art Boarding House, designed by architect Rick Mather. The new Stanhope House was officially opened on 6th March 2009 by the Old Stoic, Sir Nicholas Winton MBE. He is Stowe’s greatest humanitarian who organised the rescue of 669 children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War.